After We Fall Tour: Guest Post, Review + Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for AFTER WE FALL by Emma Kavanagh! Today I'll be sharing my review of the book along with a guest post by the author - and don't forget to enter to win your own copy!

After We Fall

Author: Emma Kavanagh

Genre: Adult Mystery/Thriller

Release Date: June 2, 2015

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark

Description:

A plane falls out of the sky.

A woman is murdered.

Four people all have something to hide…

For fans of Tana French and Alice LaPlante comes After We Fall, a debut psychological thriller by former police psychologist Emma Kavanagh that explores four lives shattered in the tense aftermath of a plane crash.

Shortly after takeoff, flight 2940 plummets to the snow-covered ground, breaking into two parts, the only survivors a handful of passengers and a flight attendant. 

Cecilia has packed up and left her family. Now she has survived a tragedy and sees no way out.

Tom has woken up to discover that his wife was on the plane and must break the news to their only son.

Jim is a retired police offer and worried father. His beloved daughter has disappeared, and he knows something is wrong.

Freya is struggling to cope with the loss of her father. But as she delves into his past, she may not like what she finds.

Four people, who have never met but are indelibly linked by these disasters, will be forced to reveal the closely guarded secrets that unlock the answers to their questions. But once the truth is exposed, it may cause even more destruction.

Told from various points of view, chapter by chapter, readers follow the investigation into the doomed plane alongside the investigation of a murder. Kavanagh deftly weaves together the stories of those who lost someone or something of themselves in one tragic incident, exploring how swiftly everything we know can come crashing down.

Why was Jim difficult to write?

Jim was one of the harder characters to write. Not because of the way the chapters themselves came out - in all honesty, Jim’s chapters were some of the easier ones to tackle. The problems with Jim came from the depth of his grief.

He is a father coping with the loss of his daughter, and having to simultaneously come face to face with the fact that he is no longer a police officer, that he no longer has the authority he once had.

These were some pretty dark emotions.

One of the toughest pieces I ever remember writing was Jim identifying his daughter’s body in the morgue. I can still remember the smells, the feel of the glass beneath his hands. It feels very much like a real grief I have been through rather than something I have written.

However, there was a flip side. Jim’s marriage is a strong one. It is facing down the loss of his daughter, and could not be more different to Tom and Cecilia’s flawed and failing one. I loved that about him. That he could show us a different, stronger side of marriage.

After We Fall is a gripping thriller that will have readers on the edge of their seats and devouring every page. The story follows four different characters - all of whom were deeply affected by the plane crash of flight 2940. Each of their lives is irrevocably altered and they all must learn to adapt to their new realities in order to survive. The author takes us inside each of the characters' private lives to reveal dark secrets and lies they've been hiding. We must follow the investigation into the plane crash, along with a murder case. By getting to the bottom of each, we'll discover the secrets each character has been hiding - along with answering several questions that have been haunting them for ages. 

Thrillers are one of my favorite genres, and after reading the synopsis for this book - I knew I had to read it. I wasn't sure what to expect - especially with the four main characters and having the story told from each of their perspectives. I'm so glad that I gave this one a chance though - I was pleasantly surprised at how easily the author immersed me into the world she created and at the incredibly detailed writing. I'm a huge fan of the first person point of view - which this was not written in. It was done in third person with the narrator jumping between each of the four main characters throughout the whole book. The thing is - I honestly believe that this was the best way for the novel to be written. If it had been done in the first person POV, things would have gotten confusing and messy very fast - and the story would have lost the reader early on. By writing in the third person, the author was able to keep each of the main characters' storylines separate, but maintained a clear main plot that connected them all. It wasn't confusing or overwhelming this way and it also allows the reader to really get to know and understand the different characters and how their lives connect during the story. 

The plot itself was incredibly detailed and multi-layered - which I loved. So much happens during the story that it just continues to draw you in deeper - even as things get more complicated and intertwined. Due to the fact that there are four different main characters whose stories are told alongside the main plot line of the plane crash - and then the added murder investigation, it's nearly impossible to touch on everything that happens during the book. It would take a ton of time and way too much space - so I'll simply say that each of the characters were incredibly well written and realistic. I found myself empathizing for each of them in different ways - and their independent stories were intriguing and added a depth to the book that couldn't have been achieved any other way. As I mentioned earlier, the writing was impeccable. The author was able to weave together so many smaller storylines into the main plot - and did so without confusing the reader. In fact, I found that it only enhanced my reading experience. The book would have been good if done simply from one person's point of view - but the way it was written truly blew me away. The amount of detail, description, and vivid imagery came together perfectly to suck the reader into the lives of these people - as well as the world the author created around the event of the plane crash (and everything that happens afterwards). I very highly recommend this book to fans of mysteries, suspense, and thrillers - this is definitely a book you'll want to get your hands on! I also think fans of other genres will enjoy the realistic characters, complex storyline, and magnificent writing that make up this novel. I'll definitely be reading more of this author's other books!

Emma Kavanagh was born and raised in South Wales. After graduating with a PhD in psychology from Cardiff University, she spent many years working as a police and military psychologist, training firearms officers, command staff, and military personnel throughout the UK and Europe. She started her business as a psychology consultant, specializing in human performance in extreme situations. She lives in South Wales with her husband and two young sons. 

Twitter: @EmmaLK

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